BUDUREASCA | 8 Barrels | 2016
syrah | cabernet sauvignon | merlot

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Today we are going to review a quite intriguing and in a way unique wine blend from the famous Dealu Mare region in Romania – 8 Barrels 2016 by Budureasca. This wine is a blend of three major grape varieties: 88% syrah, 6% cabernet sauvignon and 6% merlot, where syrah is responsible for the wine’s main body and structure, cabernet sauvignon adds more tannins and color extract, while merlot rounds up and smoothens the final blend. This particular wine has been aged for 12 months in romanian oak barrels from which only the best 8 barrels were selected to be bottled, hence the wine’s name – 8 Barrels. The wine has been conceived to celebrate the friendly relations between Romania and China, and as thus has been crafted a gift to chinese president Xi Jinping. The wine label represents the fusion in form of the digit ‘8’ (representing both, the lucky chinese number 8 and the 8 barrels that were used for the ageing of the wine) between the two country’s symbols: the famous chinese dragon and the wolf-headed snake of the dacs. Needless to mention that the wine has been produced in a limited edition of only 8563 bottles. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium to pale garnet color
clarity: hazy copper shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & spicy
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: red currant | cranberry | sour cherry | wolfberry | dried cranberry | dried red cherry
fruit character: ripe & dried

//Flavor
non fruit: vegetal | spice | oak | earthy
__vegetal: wormwood | red bell pepper
__spice: red pepper | cloves
__oak: cherry tree wood | sun-dried oakwood | cherry tree bark
__earthy: brown soil | clay | loam
primary layer: fruit & oak

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium-
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: supple & lean | medium-

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium
aftertaste: seedy-crisp

//Scoring
BUDUREASCA | 8 Barrels | 2016
variety: syrah | cabernet sauvignon | merlot
country: Romania | Muntenia
region: Dealu Mare
rating: 93.0

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now or in the next 2 years
verdict: great | a must try
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This is definitely a great wine of Romania and, with a total of 93.0 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a quite supple and lean wine blend that feels slightly opulent and lush on the palate – a wine that has already reached the peak of its form, thus one that is about to step on the decline slope. It tastes a bit flat (not what you’d expect from a syrah-based blend) and round, with exuberant acidity, fine-grained tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel. On the nose the wine delivers ripe and dried red fruits and some very nuanced spiciness in the foreground, supported by an dusty, earthy-oaky background, followed by a layer of subtle vegetal hints in between. Overall the wine feels opulent and wide, as in its current state it lacks some structure and complexity on the palate. Our recommendation is to pair this wine with fat-rich meaty dishes, like for example a worcestershire fillet steak or a black angus filet mignon steak, so that all that acidity and tannins in the wine will cut through the fat in the meat, thus filling the gaps in the wine structure with the richness of flavours in the food.

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